Intra-Articular Injection of Autologous Adipose-Derived Stromal Vascular Fractions for the Cartilage Repair of Grade 2 and 3 Knee Osteoarthritis: A Confirmatory Clinical Trial

Abstract BackgroundCartilage defect remains one of the most important reasons for the rapid development of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Numerous reports have confirmed the safety and clinical efficacy of autologous adipose-derived stromal vascular fractions (SVF), which has recently been used clinically to treat patients with knee OA. However, there is still no consensus as to whether SVF can promote cartilage regeneration. Herein, we purposed to evaluate the effectiveness of SVF in cartilage regeneration by developing cartilage model based on the 3D-FS-SPGR sequence.MethodsPatients with Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2-3 knee OA were recruited in our research. Then, we monitored patients and subsequently scored symptoms using WOMAC, VAS, and range of motion (ROM) before treatment and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-treatment. The WORMS and MOCART were recorded by magnetic resonance imaging. The cartilage model of the patient was established using the 3D-FS-SPGR sequence, while the relevant parameters of the model were counted at baseline, 6, and 12 months.ResultsWe enrolled 47 patients (53 knees) with knee OA in this study, of which 29 knees were classified as grade 2, while 24 were assigned grade 3. No treatment-related adverse event was observed in our study. Notably, WOMAC, VAS, and ROM showed a significant improvement at 12 months. We further found that the thickness, volume, and surface of the cartilage defect decreased, while the volume of healthy cartilage increased in all regions, particularly in the medial femoral and tibia condyle. Moreover, the scores of WORMS and MOCART revealed a substantial improvement of cartilage repair at 12 months. ConclusionsTaken together, this study shows that intra-articular injection of SVF into the knee markedly improved the clinical symptoms of patients without the occurrence of adverse events, thereby repairing the damaged articular cartilage through cartilage regeneration.Trial registrationRetrospectively registered. Chinses Clinical Trial Registry with identifier ChiCTR2100042930. Registered 28 January 2021.